This week's Alternative Table doesn't make easy reading for Newcastle or Arsenal fans, while Crystal Palace come up smelling of roses

Bad year: Arsenal are on patchy form in 2014 (Photo: Jan Kruger - The FA)

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Arsenal's recent fall from Premier League grace makes for grim reading for Gunners fans. However, their plight worsens in this week's Alternative Premier League Table, which considers club form from this calender year only.

The Gunners' 2014 record sees them plummet from the pole position they held at the turn of the year and free-falling into ninth place. Wenger's reluctance to invest in a world class striker looks to have cost them dearly, hampering their best opportunity for a title win in years.

Liverpool's irrepressible title charge has seen them climb to the summit of the table, with this year's 41-point haul helping the Reds to pull away six points clear of second place Chelsea and a sizeable 11 points ahead of Man City in third (albeit with two games in hand).

Worryingly for the Geordies Alan Pardew and his Newcastle side find themselves teetering on the brink of the drop zone, languishing in 17th position. This will do nothing to instil supporter's confidence, having witnessed their manager receive a ban for headbutting, losing their star playmaker, Yohan Cabaye, to PSG and with no sign of significant reinvestment.

Joint rock-bottom are Sunderland and Cardiff respectively. After a brief resurgence under Gus Poyet, Newcastle's bitter rivals are struggling for points in 2014 along with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Cardiff City, whose rocky start to Premier League management continues.

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace continue to defy the odds thanks to the impact of mid-season saviour, Tony Pulis. The Eagle's form this year sees them sitting in a solid 10th place - unthinkable considering their poor start under Ian Holloway.

Elsewhere West Ham make a top half appearance while Manchester United continue to flat-line just shy of the European spots.

Please note : This week's Alternative table is based on results up to (and including) Saturday April 13.